Applying films



Dec. 12, 1939. w, EARL AL I 2,183,064

APPLYING FILMS Filed Nov. 23, .1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS ATTORNEY Dec. 12, 1939. w. EARL EI'AL 2,183,064

- APPLYING FILMS Filed Nov. 23, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lHIlV/A INVENTORS BY M%1w/ v ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,183,064 APPLYING FILMS York Application November 23, 1937, Serial No. 176,010

12 Claims.

This invention relates to applying films of various substances, especially mobile and viscous liquids, to the lip-i. e. the upper edge, or top surface, of the mouth or neck-of containers.

It has been found necessary or desirable in certain industries to apply various substances to container lips. Thus, in packing pharmaceuticals deleteriously affected by the atmosphere, or as a means of insuring against leakage of the contents, it is advantageous to employ, as a sealing means auxiliary to the regular screw-cap or similar closure, a disc of paper, Cellophane, or some other suitable material which seals the bottle and is not affected by the contents of the bottle when cemented to the container lip (as shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,966,273). According as this disc is or is not gummed or provided with a ring of adhesive, the bottle lip must first receive a film of water (or of a volatile solvent for the cement), or a film of adhesive, respectively. Then the cap, the disc having been placed therein, is attached to the container by the customary appliance; and the disc, being brought into tight contact with the lip, adheres thereto.

A contrivance heretofore proposed for applying such water or adhesive to container lips consists of a rotating roller with its axis horizontal, fixed at such a distance above the container conveyor as to make the required deposit on the lips' of containers of average height. Since, however, a considerable proportion of commercial-run bottles or other containers deviate from the average height, serious difficulties attend the use of this contrivance; when a container shorter than the average passes under the roller, it may receive no liquid or adhesive whatever; and a'tall container may either have a quantity of fluid or adhesive scraped into its mouth and its contents contaminated thereby and/or it may cause the machinery to be jammed.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved method of and apparatus for the application of films of various substances to the lips of containers. More particularly, it is the object of this invention to provide a method and mechanism whereby films of various substances, es pecially mobile and viscous liquids, adhesives, or cements, may be efficiently and evenly applied in a predetermined amount to the lips of containers, the mechanism being adapted to compensate an tomatically for differences in container heights and being characterized by other features of superiority in structure and operation.

The method of this invention essentially comprises continuously moving containers into operative position, and alternately picking up a uniform charge of a film substance and applying it to a container lip while the container is in motion, the application being efiected evenly and substantially without Wiping contact. The apparatus of this invention essentially comprises means for continuously moving containers into operative position, applicators adapted alternately to pick up a uniform charge of the film substance and to carry it into operative position synchronously with the containers, and means for actuating the applicator while in operative position to apply the charge evenly to a container lip substantially without wiping contact; and also means for automatically compensating for differences in container heights.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is'a top view of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side View of the apparatus of Fig. 1, with the reservoir shown partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the applicator mechanism in operative position on an average container; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the applicator mechanism in operative position on a shorter container.

In the apparatus illustrated, a conveyor 33 (for convenience of illustration shown as linear) carries containers 34 into operative position (the position of the middle container in Figs. 1 and 2). Situated thereover is an applicator carrier 45, rotatable on vertical standard Ill, and a cam support I I, I2, fixed on said standard it. The applicator carrier rotates counter-clockwise in Fig. 1 and is synchronized With the container conveyor (moving from left to right) so that at a point of coincidence of the applicator and container paths an applicator is situated in operative position directly over a container lip. The applicator carrier 45 comprises arms 15 to the distal ends of which are attached the applicators. Each applicator consists of a shank l6 vertically reciprocable in arm l5 (Figs. 3 and 4) and having a narrow upper longitudinal bore ll connecting at shoulder IS with a wider longitudinal bore I9; a spiral spring 20 girdles shank l6 and is confined between arm [5 and flange 2| on shank l6, acting to force the shank upwards; a key 9| in shank l6 slides in slot 9 in arm 15 and serves to prevent rotation of the shank; a plunger 22 extends through bores 17 and I9 and has its downward movement limited by the head of a screw 23 in the top of the plunger; a spiral spring 24 girdles plunger 22 and is confined between shoulder I8 and a flange 25 on the plunger, serving to force the plunger downwards; a plate 26 is attached to the bottom of plunger 22 and has afiixed thereto an annular dauber 2'! of resilient material, such as rubber; and an extension 28 on flange 2! carries a cam follower 29. Cam support ll, l2 has fixed to the distal ends thereof arcuate cams l3 and I4 (Figs. 1 and 2) situated respectively over a film-substance reservoir and the operative position. The film-substance reservoir (Figs. 1 and 2) consists of a reservoir 39 containing film substance 3i in which is partly immersed a feeder cylinder 32 rotating on a horizontal axis. The feeder cylinder may be rotated synchronously with the other mechanisms.

The operation of the apparatus described is as follows: Containers are fed upon the continuously moving conveyor in spaced vertical positions and consecutively pass into operative position under an applicator, the applicator carrier being synchronously actuated with the conveyor. As the applicators are rotated, each in turn passes first under cam l3 (which causes shank l6 and dauber 21 to be depressed to pick up a charge of a film substance, such as an adhesive, from feeder cylinder 32) and then under cam M (which again depresses dauber 2'! through shank 46 to deposit the charge of film material on the lip of a container on the conveyor). The contact between the dauber and container lip is essentially a striking contact (i. e. substantially without wiping contact) since in operative position the container path is tangential to that of the dauber and they consequently move in the same direction and. at the same speed. Obviously, wiping contact may be completely avoided by utilizing an arcuate conveyor, 1. e. one in which the containers travel in at least a small arc coincident with the arc of the dauber path. The feed cylinder 32 is partially immersedlin film substance in the reservoir, and has its uppermost portion in the same plane as the shortest containers encountered; the cylinder is synchronously actuated with the applicator mechanism .so as to avoid wiping contact with the daubers and thereby feed. an even, uniform charge thereon. The applicator mechanism is so adjusted that when shank I6 is forced down bycam M, the dauber will positively contact the lip of the shortest container encountered without compressing plunger spring 2 3, as shown in Fig. 4; spring 2 3 then automatically compensates for all taller containers by yielding as much as necessary, as shown in Fig. 3. The film substance is thus evenly applied to the lips of all containers within the range of heights for which adjustment has been made.

The invention may be variously otherwise embodied-as by varying the number of applicators on the carrier, or by using other mechanism for conveying containers or for feeding adhesive or the like or for compensating for different container heights-within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for applying films of a substance to the lips of containers comprising means for moving containers into operative position, applicators adapted alternately to receive a uniform charge of the film substance and to carry it into said operative position synchronously with the containers, and means for actuating the applicators while in said operative position to apply the charge to a container lip substantially with out wiping contact.

2. Apparatus for applying films of a substance to the lips of containers comprising means for moving containers into operative position, applicators adapted alternately to receive a uniform charge of the film substance and to carry it into said operative position synchronously with the containers, means on said applicators automatically compensating for variations in the height of the containers, and means for actuating the applicators while in said operative position to apply the charge to a container lip substantially Without wiping contact.

3. Apparatus for applying a liquid film to the lips of containers comprising a continuously moving conveyor for the containers, a rotary applicator carrier arranged so that the paths of the applicators thereon and of the containers have at least one point of coincidence, and means for alternately causing said applicators to pick up a uniform charge of the liquid and deposit it on the lip of a container while at the point of path coincidence.

4. Apparatus for applying a liquid film to the lips of containers comprising a continuously moving linear conveyor for the containers, a rotary applicator carrier arranged so that the paths of the applicators thereon and of the containers have at least one point of coincidence, and means for alternately causing said applicators to pick up a uniform charge of the liquid and deposit it on the lip of a container while at the point of path coincidence.

5. Apparatus for applying a liquid film to the lips of containers comprising a continuously moving conveyor for the containers, a rotary applicator carrier arranged so that the paths of the applicators thereon and of the containers have at least one point of coincidence, the applicators consisting of resilient daubers having spring means for compensating for variations in the height of containers, and means for alternately causing said applicators to pick up a uniform charge of the liquid and deposit it on the lip of a container while at the point of path coincidence.

6. Apparatus for applying a liquid film to the lips of containers comprising a continuously moving linear conveyor for the containers, a rotary applicator carrier arranged so that the paths of the applicators thereon and of the containers have at least one point of coincidence, a reservoir for the liquid having a feeding cylinder, and means for alternately causing each applicator to contact with the feeding cylinder and then with the lip of a container while at the point of path coincidence.

7. An apparatus of the type described comprising a conveyor, sequentially spaced containers on the conveyor, an applicator, means for periodically positioning the applicator above the mouth of each of the subjacent moving containers and for synchronizing the rate of movement of the applicator and an immediately associated container for a portion of their conjoint travel, and means for pressing the applicator upon the lip of the container during their synchronized movement.

8- An appa atus r app ying a substance to the lips of containers comprising a conveyor adapted to carry containers at spaced intervals, a rotatable member, applicators on the periphery of said member sequentially registering with and overlying the lips of the immediately subjacent containers for a portion of their travel, and means for pressing the registering applicator upon the container lip.

9. An apparatus for applying a liquid to the lips of containers comprising a conveyor adapted to carry containers at spaced intervals, a plurality of spaced applicators successively movable into operative position over the lips of the containers on the conveyor, and means for sequentially pressing the applicators into contact with the container lips.

10. In a device for applying substances to container lips, a. vertically reciprocable shank, a

cable shank actuated by the cam, a spring pressing the shank upward, a plunger extending through the shank, a dauber attached to the bottom of the plunger, and a spring pressing the plunger downward.

' 12. An apparatus comprising a vertical standard, a rotating carrier supported thereby and having a plurality of arms, a vertically reciprocable shank carried at the distal'end of each arm, a spring pressing the shank upward, a plunger extending through the shank, a dauber attached to the bottom of the plunger, a spring pressing the plunger downward, a cam supported by the standard above the rotating carrier and adapted to actuate the shank.

WILLIAM EARL. v GEORGE W. FLEISCHMAN. 

